ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – Cornell is climbing the ranks among its peer institutions.

The university has been named the 12th best school in the country by US News and World Report, up five spots from last year. Cornell is tied at #12 with Columbia University and the University of Chicago. Cornell also shares the #1 spot in New York State honors with Columbia University.

According to the Daily Sun, the Big Red’s rise is likely because of a change in how rankings are calculated that accounts for graduation rates for students receiving need-based Pell grants and first-generation college students among other new criteria. Cornell was also ranked as the best overall school in the United States for veterans.